Ellen Churchill Semple a strong supporter and follower of Ratzel

• remembered for her contributions to American geography, was one of the pioneers of field research
• her works shaped the whole trend and content of geographical thought in America
• she has been recognized as a pioneer in the study of human-environment interaction
• she introduced ‘anthropogeography’ to an English speaking audience
• identified by anthropogeography and environmentalism, she was a leading exponent of Environmental Determinism
• adopted historical approaches to deal with geographical phenomena and established the control of the physical environment on human activity
• believed that human culture and history were mainly determined by the physical environment
• Her first book, American History and Its Geographic Conditions, expanded her inquiry into the historical development of American society
• she was among the first to detail the ways that the natural environment impacted the course of human history
• was the first female president of the Association of American Geographers.
• she published numerous well-received articles in European and American journals